Beside You starring Luke Hemmings and Michael Clifford
by ParadiseAly
Summary: 18 year old twins Raven Marie and Phoenix Louise Calloway go with their father John to Australia on one of his business trips. While there they meet the boys of 5 Seconds of Summer. Luke and Michael immediately catch the girls' eyes. Is it happily ever after or a fairy tale that ends too soon? Read to find out. 5SOS fanfic. Luke/OC. Michael/OC. Please review!
1. Sydney Bound

"Hi, Daddy!"

John smiled. "How are my little girls?"

Raven smiled back. "How was New York?"

"Too damn busy." He laughed. "But I brought something back for each of you."

Our 40 year old father reached into his duffel bag he always used for business trips and produced two small gift bags.

He handed the black bag to Raven and turned to me, handing me a red bag.

"How clever. Black for Raven and red for Phoenix." I stated and Dad laughed.

My twin sister and I tore into the bags. Each one contained a black box.

We opened them to find gold lockets with John and Lily's pictures inside.

"We'll be with ya even when we're away from home." Dad explained.

Raven and I jumped up off of the leather sofa to hug him and thank him for the beautiful gifts.

"There's something else in the bags. Take a look." He encouraged.

We looked into our bags and found a slip of paper in each on.

"Plane tickets?" Raven asked.

Dad nodded. "I want to take you on my next trip. I'm going to Sydney."

"Australia?!" I shrieked and he nodded.

"Oh my god!" Raven screamed.

We turned to each other, our identical blue eyes meeting. "We're going to Australia!"

"We leave Saturday." Dad told us. "You should probably get packed."

Raven and I flew up to our bedrooms, leaving the doors open so we could shout back and forth to each other.

I pulled my two biggest rolling suitcases out of the closet and laid them out on the bed.

I folded countless pairs of jeans, skirts, and shorts into one and zipped it shut. The next one I filled with shirts,dresses, and shoes.

Then I pulled a slightly smaller bag out and filled it with electronics, make up, hair stuff, underwear, bikinis, and tampons.

And that was it. I had managed to finish packing in thirty minutes. I decided to go check Raven's progress.

She was sitting on the floor next to her empty suitcase. "Phoenix, I'm dying."

I packed for her while she laid on her bed and played flappy bird.

When she (I) was finished packing, we took our bags downstairs.

After checking my phone I realized it was Friday. We were leaving the next day.

I decided my flight outfit would be yoga pants and a tank top and I would change into a floral print skirt, black bustier, and wedges before landing. Raven just wanted to wear jeans and an All Time Low tshirt she had cut into a crop top.

"Hey, I'm going to watch Supernatural and get some sleep before tomorrow. Wanna sleep in my room?' I asked.

She retrieved her favorite down pillow and came into my room. I turned on the first episode of the show and we laid down on my queen size bed.

We were both asleep before the episode was over.

At the ungodly hour of 4 am, our father came in to wake us up. "Rise and shine, little birds. Our flight leaves at 8. Make sure you're ready."

Raven and I groaned befre rolling out of bed and going to get ready.

My sister showered while I went downstairs to get breakfast.

It was obvious my mother hadn't had time to go shopping before her nursing shift the night before because the food supply was oddly picked over.

I found the freshest apple I could and took a bite. It was a bit soft, but edible.

Raven walked in a minute later, her hair dripping down her back, and poured a large glass of water.

"Another fasting day?" I asked.

She grinned. "Always."

"This apple is the first thing I've eaten in three days." I said.

She smiled. "Way to go, you."

I tossed the rest of my apple and went to shower while Raven got dressed.

When I was clean I wrapped a towel around my body and padded into my bedroom.

Raven was sitting on the bed in her skinny jeans and custom band shirt, her cherry red hair straightened to perfection. She looked as punk as ever.

She offered to straighten my long, so brown it's almost black hair. When she was done, I put on my own clothes.

Daddy walked in while Raven and I were sitting on my bed talking about cute Australian boys. He was wearing a nice suit and the bags that always hung below his eyes were far less noticable. He looked like a real businessman. "Ready to go?"

We nodded and followed him outside to the waiting taxi.

The airport was crowded and the security check was long and tedious but we finally made it onto our plane.

Daddy went to sleep while Raven and I sat up talking about cute Australian boys again.

Just before landing, I went into the plane's bathroom to change.

The flight didn't seem nearly as long as expected and I was giddy as we walked through the terminal and claimed our luggage.

Dad got one of the taxis lined up out front and they drove us to a really nice hotel in Sydney.

Raven and I unpacked a few things before slipping bikinis on under our clothes and heading to the beach that was less than a mile from the hotel.

There was no one there other than a group of four boys a few hundred yards away.

Raven and I shed our clothes to reveal our cutest bikinis. Raven's was seafoam green, mine was bright pink.

She sat down to tan and I decided to go for a swim.

After swimming along the shore for nearly an hour, I got out of the water.

The four boys we'd seen were sitting there talking to Raven.

A very cute blond guy was sitting on my was room for me to sit down but I was uncomfortable sitting so close to a boy whose name I didn't know.

"You can sit down. I don't bite." He said, looking up at me as I stood awkwardly.

I hesitated for a second before sitting next to him.

"I'm Luke, by the way." He said.

I smiled politely. "Phoenix."

He smiled back.

I reached for some sunscreen so my already tanned skin wouldn't burn.

"Want me to get your back?" Luke teased.

I grinned. "Would you?"

He blushed but nodded.

I handed him the tube and he massaged the cool lotion onto my back. I accidentally groaned when he rubbed it into my always tense shoulders.

My face turned red as the group fell silent. Raven broke the silence with a loud laugh.

A few minutes later a boy with black and blond hair asked how long we were going to be in the area.

"A week." Raven answered.

"That's it?" He asked.

She smiled. "Yes, Michael, that's it."

Then she turned to me. "Phoenix, this is Calum" -she pointed to a tan boy with a cute smile and dark hair- "this is Ashton" -she pointed out a boy with brownish blond hair and a gorgeous smile- "and I figure you know who Michael is. And you've obviously met Luke."

I waved to Calum, Ashton, and Michael. "Hi, guys."

They all smiled back.

Calum and Ashton continued talking to each other as Raven and Michael jumped into a heated debate over what All Tim Low song was the best.

"Is that a tattoo?" Luke asked, looking at the back of my neck.

I nodded. "I got the Batman symbol because Batman is my favorite thing on the planet other than pizza."

He laughed. "Batman and pizza are great. Do you have any other tattoos?"

I flipped him off and he frowned before noticing the words "fuck off" inked onto the side of my midle finger.

I decided now was not the time to show him the tattoo curling around the underside of my breast.

My phone rang once and I found it lying underneath my pile of clothes.

It was a text message from Daddy.

"Raven, we gotta go." I said.

"Why?" She whined.

"Dad said we need to get back to the hotel."

She groaned before gathering up our stuff.

We slid on slouchy tank tops and flip flops before getting up to leave.

"Let us walk you." Luke said, jumping up.

My sister and I shared a quick look before nodding.

Calum and Ashton decided to head home so they waved before walking off to their cars.

A moment later my foot sank into an oddly soft bit of sand and Luke grabbed my hips to stop me from falling over.

"Thanks." I smiled.

"No problem." He said. "There are a few patches around here where you'll sink in. Look right up there."

I looked up the beach where he was pointing to a dark spot of sand.

"Look out for that. Sometimes, when the tide comes in, it washes out spots of sand like that. The sand builds back up but it stays soft and jellyfish tend to get caught around there and you don't want to step on them. Have you ever been stung?"

I shook my head. "No. But Raven got stung when we were about five. She started screaming because it hurt so bad."

"Hurts like crazy. Keep an eye out for them." He advised.

We were just outside the hotel now.

Luke turned to me and I noticed his eyes were a gorgeous shade of blue. "Can I text you?"

I smiled and nodded.

He handed me his phone and I put my number in before handing it back.

"I'll see you soon?" He asked.

"If you're lucky." I grinned.


	2. Extremely Punk Rock

*Luke's POV*

"Are you gonna ask her out?"

"What?"

"Are you going to ask Phoenix out?" Michael asked.

I sighed. "I don't know. Maybe. I just met her."

"I want to ask Raven out." He stated.

"You do realize they're not going to be here long, right?" I said.

"Maybe they'll fall in love with us and move here."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm sure that's what they're going to do, Mikey."

"You alright, man? You seem weird." He stated.

I ran a hand through my hair and shook my head. "Something seems different about her. I can't place it..."

"She seems nice. Funny. She's pretty, too."

I nodded. "Obviously. She's gorgeous, both of them are. But, I don't know. I feel like there's something amazing her."

"Other than the boobs, you mean? They have great boobs."

I laughed. "Is it always boobs with you?"

"Look me in the eye and tell me you were not astounded by the perkiness of their breasts." He challenged.

"They have great boobs but there are more important things, Michael." I laughed.

Michael just stared.

"I just want to know her. Every little detail."

He grinned. "Little Lukey has a crush!"

"Shut up. You're thinking the same damn thing about Raven. I know you are."

"God, she was cool. Did you hear her rant about how much she loves MCR? i fell in love right then." He smiled to himself.

"Honestly, I think you guys would be great together. You're both extremely punk rock." I said.

"I know, right?" He laughed. "Our song will be something by The Story So Far, I can already tell."

I sighed, part of me knowing he would go to extreme lengths to make sure it wpuld be their song.

I couldn't help by wonder what song might someday be mine and Phoenix's. I didn't have a clue, but I knew it would be good.

"Hello, lover boy." Michael waved his hand in front of my face.

"What?"

"I asked if you wanted to go to Nando's but I think you want Phoenix more than you want chicken."

I blushed lightly.

"Yep, definitely Phoenix."

"I'm sorry I find her interesting and wildly attractive!" I shouted.

He smiled. "God, if you end up dating her you're going to be beyond whipped."


	3. House Party

*Phoenix's POV*

"He's really cute." Raven stated for the fifth time that hour.

I smiled. She seemed to be really into Michael.

"Don't you like Luke?" She asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, actually. I think I do."

"He was staring at you the whole time yesterday. Which totally doesn't surprise me. I knew he would have a thing for brunettes." She explained.

"How could you possibly know that?" I asked.

She just stared. "Aw, sweetie, you're so young and naive."

"You're three minutes older! Let it go!" I shouted and flung my phone across the room. The otter box protected my poor abused iPhone from damage.

"Don't throw your phone, baby sister." She smirked.

"I should have killed you in the womb." I stated.

She grinned. "You love me too much."

I shook my head and retrieved my phone. I squeaked when I saw I had a new text from Luke. "He texted me!"

Raven smiled at her own phone. "Mikey texted me too!"

"Did he ask you to go to a party tonight?" I asked.

"He did!" She smiled so big I thought her entire face would angle up at the sides.

"We have to go. We have to." I said.

She nodded. "Agreed. First things first, what do we wear?"

"Is it a big house party or something smaller?" I asked.

"I'll ask." she said and shot Michael a text.

I opened up my suitcase and looked through the few party dresses I had packed.

"Huge house party. Lots of music and dancing." Raven said a minute later.

I picked up my bright red, skintight, strapless party dress. "This?"

She shook her head. "The black one. Trust me."

I picked up the dress she was referring to. It was tight, so short it barely covered my ass, low cut, and sequined. It was the hottest looking dress I owned. "It makes me look like a skank."

She smirked. "Do you want to bang Luke or not?"

I gasped. "Excuse you. I am a virgin."

"No." She grinned.

"Don't you think I would've told you if I had sex?" I muttered.

"Oh. Ohmygod" She laughed. "Baby sis has never banged anyone!"

I blushed. "Shut up."

"Just wear that dress. You won't be a virgin much longer."

"Raven!" I shrieked.

She chuckled. "It's true!"

I rolled my eyes and laid the dress on my bed. "Silver heels or black ones?"

"Red."

I groaned. "Raven. I cannot dress like a prostitute."

"Wear red heels." She ordered.

I reluctantly took my red stilettos out of my bag.

"Now. Go shower so I can do your hair and makeup."

I ran to take a quick shower and when I was done she curled my long hair and made my face look airbrushed with the perfect amount of make up.

While she was in the shower I slipped into my dress and heels.

Raven got out of the shower, straightened her hair, applied make up, and slipped into skinny jeans a slouchy Pierce The Veil t shirt.

Her shoes of choice? Converse.

I was forced into the world's most uncomfortable high heels and she got to wear converse?

"So, how are we getting there?" She asked. "You won't make it far in those shoes."

"Luke said to text him when we're ready and he'll pick us up. I'll tell him now." I said, quickly typing into my iPhone.

He replied a minute later.

"He'll be here in five. Let's go wait outside." I said.

Raven followed me to the elevator which took us to the lobby.

Luke was pulling up just as we got outside.

I smiled as he got out of the car. "Hey!"

He froze when we made eye contact and I blushed. His blue eyes were piercing.

"You okay there, Luke?" Raven laughed.

He turned dark red. "Sorry."

I walked up to him, his tall figure dwarfing me despite wearing four inch heels. Without shoes Raven and I were barely 5'3". With my heels I wa almost 5'8" but Luke wa still at least 5 inches taller.

"Hi." He smiled.

I reached out to hug him. "It's good to see you."

He pulled me in tight. "I guess I'm pretty lucky."

I grinned and stepped back a bit. "Thanks for coming to get us."

"No problem." He said.

He opened both of our doors, Raven had to sit in the back because I was the shotgun calling champion.

All Time Low played over the car speakers as Luke drove us to Ashton's house.

When we got there we jumped out before Luke could get the doors. The party was already in full swing. Tons of people stood around drinking, laughing, and dancing.

Raven sprinted off to look for Michael while I hovered close to Luke.

Some guy stared at me and I got the feeling he was trying to look straight through my dress. I clung to the sleeve of Luke's black jacket.

He wrapped his arm around my waist as we passed the guy.

"Thanks." I whispered, barely loud enough for Luke to hear.

"When I picked you up at the hotel there was something I wanted to tell you but I got too nervous." He said.

"What?" I asked.

"You look incredible. Absolutely stunning." He said and I blushed.

"You dpn't look so bad yourself." I said.

And he didn't. His blond hair was perfectly messy. He wore black skinny jeans, a plaid shirt, and a black hoodie. I also noticed how he absent mindedly twisted his lip ring around with his tongue, which was easily the most attractive thing I'd ever seen a boy do.

"Come on." He squeezed my side. "I'll show you around."

After giving me a full tour and taking me to talk to Ashton, Luke led me back to the kitchen. "Do you want anything to drink? There's some wine coolers."

"A beer would be great." I stated.

"Beer? Really? I thought you wpuld be the girl to like fruity drinks." He said.

"I like anything." I said and cringed, realizing how slutty that had sounded.

Luke handed me a beer and I twisted the cap off and took a long pull.

He nodded once out of approval before opening his own beer.

"Phoenix, do you want to dance?" He asked.

I nodded. "I'd love to."

He took the hand that wasn't holding my beer and led me out to the back where the patio had been cleared to make what resembled a dance floor.

Luke pulled me though the crowd of people and we started dancing to a pop song I didn't know.

I noticed Raven dancing with Michael and gave her a thumbs up.

"I know, right?" A voice spoke behind me. "She looks like a slut. I can't believe Luke is wasting his time on her."

I whirled around and saw two girls talking and staring.

I stalked over, Luke followed close behind, not sure why I was suddenly pissed.

"Do you have a fucking problem?" I asked them.

A tall, skinny blond girl sneered. "Not at all. Just wondering why a guy like him would waste his time on a stripper."

Her accent was annoying, unlike Luke's smooth, comforting voice.

"Excuse me?" I opened my mouth but that voice did not belong to me. It belonged to Luke.

I turned to look at him. His eyes were wide with anger.

"First of all, she's not a stripped. Second, I happen to think she's gorgeous and kind and I would love to spend all the time in the world with her. And third, fuck off." He said.

I smiled up at him as the girls scurried off. "Luke!"

He looked down at me. "Too harsh?"

I shook my head and hugged him. "Thanks for sticking up for me. But you really didn't have to."

"I know." He muttered. "But I wanted to."

"Let's go inside and get more drinks." I suggested and tugged his hand.

We retrieved more beers to replace the ones we had finished and sat down on the empty loveseat.

There were people around although not many, and most of them were very drunk.

We sipped our beers in a comfortable silence.

Luke turned to me after finishing his drink.

I chugged the rest of my beer for an extra boost of courage before facing him.

He leaned in like he was going to kiss me but turned his head to talk into my ear. "I'm sorry about those girls. The blond, she was my ex, doesn't like when I talk to girls pretttier than her. You shouldn't have had to hear her shit. I'm sorry, Phoenix."

I smiled, pretending he didn't just say I was prettier than the near model like girl who'd insulted me. "It's fine. She's jealous. It sucks seeing your ex talk to someone else."

"I don't care when I see her with other guys." He said.

"That's because you're over her. She's obviously stuck on you." I explained.

"Then why'd she cheat?" He asked.

I frowned. "I don't know, Luke. I really don't."

He grabbed my hand and pulled me out to the back again. "Come on. We never got to finish our dance."

We started dancing to a Cher Lloyd song I couldn't remember the name of.

Raven pulled Michael over and they started dancing next to us.

One of Luke's hands rested on my hip while the other held a beer. I had my wrists hanging loosely over his shoulders as I danced in front of him. It was a tip Raven had shared with me in seventh grade after our first ever dance. I'd started using that advice and it never failed me. Guys loved it.

Luke kept gradually pulling my body closer to his as we danced. By the time two songs were through, I was basically climbing him like a tree.

Another song started. I didn't know the name but I recognized the heavy beat. I'd heard it countless times and knew how to dance to it. I spun around, grinding my buttagainst Luke's hips.

His hands held my hips tightly, pulling me against him.

Raven noticed us and her and Mikey laughed.

I flipped her off and she just grinned.

After a while, I started feeling a little drunk and tired and my feet hurt.

I pulled Luke back inside and reclaimed the loveseat in the now empty room.

He sat close to me and grinned. "You're a great dancer."

I laughed. "You just love my ass."

"Damn right." He said.

I rolled my eyes jokingly and kicked my heels off, tucking my feet beneath me.

Luke asked if I wanted to say truths and I nodded.

"Okay, you first." He said.

"I like to put chocolate milk on my cereal sometimes." I admitted.

He smiled. "Sometimes I watch chick flicks so that if a girl asks me to watch one I can say I already like it and be able to prove it amd she'll think I'm deep."

I laughed. "I cried during graduation because my English teacher who I always hated for being a bitch told me she thought I was going to do something great in life and she was proud I tried so hard in her class."

"My mum thinks I don't drink but I have a case of beer under my bed."

"I used to hide vodka in my mini fridge and my dad found it and told me I should at least be smart enough to put it in water bottles."

"I want to kiss you." He said quietly.

I looked up and opened my mouth to say "Then do it" when a very drunk, very mad, very wet Raven burst into the room and screamed "Hemmings, I'm going to kill your friend."

"What happened?" I asked.

"Calum pushed me into the pool!" She screeched.

Luke jumped up and ran after Calum.

I realized that it was not only being pushed into the water that had pissed her off. Her red bra was showing through her top.

I showed her to the bathroom where she dried off a bit. Luke came up the stairs with a black hoodie in hand. "Michael said she could cover up with this while he continues kicking the shit put of Cal."

Raven opened up the bathroom door and took the hoodie, slipping it over her head.

She'd cleaned up her smudged eyeliner and managed to dry her hair a bit but she looked extremely pissed. I gave her a hug. "It's alright, Raven. Mikey's got your back."

I felt her shake with a small laugh. "Thanks."

Michael sprinted up the steps and walked over to Raven who immediately stepped away from me and into his embrace.

Luke instructed me to follow him into a bedroom.

He sat on the bed. "Ashton told me to have you girls stay tonight. No one should drive."

I nodded. "Makes sense."

"Do you need something else to sleep in? I know I've got some clothes I left around here somewhere."

I nodded. He excused himself and went to Ashton's room.

He handed me a pair of shorts and a Drop Dead muscle shirt before leaving me to change.

The shirt itself was longer on me than my dress so I opted to not wear the shorts.

I opened the door to find him waiting.

"Damn. You look better in my shirt than you did in that dress." He said.

I smacked his toned chest. "Shut up."

He grinned. "Hot damn. You're a sexy little thing."

I blushed.

Raven obviously heard because she wolf whistled and Mikey yelled "get some!"

I gestued for my twin sister to come closer.

She leaned in for me to whisper in her ear. "Sleeping here tonight. Stay in the other guest room with Michael if you want. I'm staying in here with Luke. No, we're not having sex."

She laughed and walked away. "Have fun!"

Without a second thought I walked into the bedroom and climbed into the soft bed. Luke smiled at me.

"I promise not to try anything with you. I just want to cuddle." He said and kicked his shoes off.

I made room and he slid in beside me.

I barely gave him time to get comfortable before I curled up against his side.

His arm slipped arpund my shoulders and held me close.

I was asleep before I could even say goodnight.


	4. You Ready, Baby?

*Hi, guys! Um, this chapter was actually a lot of fun to write. It's pretty freaking intense but I hope you liked it! There are drug references throughout so be warned. I don't endorse substance abuse of any type. So you know, don't try it. But yeah, I did a lot of research to make this chapter and future chapters accurate. I really hope you like it. It would mean a lot to me if you guys would review and let me know what you think of how it's going or what you think is going to happen. I just love knowing how you feel about the story. Thank you all so much for reading, it means the world to me. I love you all. -Aly*

(One Month Later)

"Believe me, you'll love it, baby."

I bit my lip, still unsure.

"Don't you trust me?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Of course I trust you."

A smile flashed across his flawless face and I felt a pinch as the needle entered my vein. "You ready to fly, baby?" He asked.

I nodded. "Totally."

He pressed down the plunger on the syringe and I felt the liquid enter my vein. It hurt but felt oddly soothing. As soon as the drug reached my brain, I was done for.

My head fell back and I breathed in and out very slowly. God, it felt good. I was flying but I stayed real low, barely off the ground. I felt amazing.

"How do you feel, baby?" My boyfriend asked, his lips at my neck.

"Incredible." I breathed.

"Jarrod, you want a hit?" Someone called.

His lips disappeared and my head fell to the side as I watched him light a match and take a hit off the bowl. The weed was still burning when he pressed the glass pipe to my lips. I sucked on it, taking a strong hit.

The weed mixed with the heroin had my exactly where I wanted to be.

I grabbed the front of Jarrod's shirt and pulled him in for another kiss.

Our lips moved together and I couldn't tell if we were moving incredibly fast or incredibly slow, but I didn't really care.

I was high. Me. The "good girl" was embarking on one hell of a bender. If only my parents could have seen me then. I couldn't help but laugh.

Jarrod pulled back, his dark brown eyes, more pupil than iris, examined my smile. "What?"

"I'm the good girl." I whispered.

He smirked. "You'll always be the good girl as long as you don't get caught."

I thought about that for a few minutes as he shot up again, what was that? The fourth time? Fifth?

My buzz was still strong but I found myself asking for another needle.

I put it in myself and pushed the plunger down.

"Oh, god." My head fell back and I dropped the syringe. It felt even better the second time around.

That kept me flying for a few hours as I partied with Jarrod and his closest friends.

I didn't say no to a few more tokes of Sierra's spectacular weed but I did shake my head when Natalie offered me a few hits of grade A glass. The heroin and weed had me feeling good enough, I didn't need meth too.

Jarrod drove me home around two am with a couple of syringes and a vial of liquid happiness tucked into the hidden pocket of my bag.

I stumbled through the front door at three. I was tired, but not totally spent. Not yet, anyways.

Luke was sitting in the living room, staring at the clock with a beer in his hand.

"Evening." I mumbled.

He glared. "Where the fuck have you been?"

I cringed. "With Jarrod."

He placed the beer bottle on the table and stalked over to me. He opened his mouth to say something but his words were lost when he saw my eyes. My pupil's had to be the size of dimes. "Are you... Are you high?"

I kept my mouth shut.

"Phoenix, what did you do?" He asked.

"Nothing." I said, slurring, my mouth moving to slow to keep up with my brain.

He frowned.

"I'm going to bed." I stated and jogged up the stairs as best I could. Once I was in my room, I collapsed onto the bed and fell into a sleep of the dead as soon as my head made contact with the pillow.

I woke up after ten hours and felt like head was literally about to split open. My whole body was on fire. I screamed for my mother's help but got Luke instead.

"Phoenix, what's wrong?" He asked as he ran into my bedroom. He sat on the bed beside me and tried to stop me from jerking around so much. But I couldn't sit still. It hurt so god damn bad.

"Everything hurts." I whimpered. Jarrod told me heroin would make me fly, he didn't tell me how much it would hurt when I came down.

Luke ran out of the room and returned a moment later with a pill bottle and a glass of water.

He fed me two pills and gave me a drink.

I swallowed and pressed my face into my pillow.

I trembled and cried with Luke's arms around me for almost an hour before the pain started to subside.

"What did you do last night?" He asked when I looked up at him.

I didn't respond.

He stood up and paced for a minute. He stopped abruptly and slammed him palm down on the top of my desk.

I jumped at the sound.

"God damn it, Phoenix. I'm not going to yell at you. I need to know. I need to know so I can figure out what the fuck is going on with you."

"What does it matter to you so much?" I asked. I'd intended for my voice to come out strong and defiant but it was a mere whisper.

He ran his hand through his already messy blond hair. "When you came here with your dad in the beginning, I thought you were really cool. And we started talking and hanging out a lot and your sister had that thing going on with Mikey for a while. Then you guys surprised us by deciding to move here, to live here, even when your dad left. I was so excited when you told me. I thought 'Yeah, this is good. Phoenix is like my best friend. This is going to be so much fun.' Then you guys moved in with us and everything was great. You and Raven got jobs down at the pub and got the band gigs playing there. It was awesome. We got to hang out everyday, even when we were technically working.

"I thought maybe there was something happening between us. Something good. Like Raven and Michael. But then you came home from work one day and told me about this guy who'd come into the bar. You said he was so hot and sweet and all this. You told me you'd exchanged numbers and planned a date. I was jealous, honestly, but I tried to be happy for you. You were happy, that was what mattered. Then he came to pick you up and you ran right into his arms and left without a single word. I thought maybe you didn't say anything because you were so excited that you hadn't thought about it, or you were nervous. I saw that you were happy about going out with Jarrod so I let it go. I calmed down.

"Then you were going out every single night. And every night you were coming home drunk. And every night I would walk you back and forth between your room and the toilet so you could throw up. Then I would put you in bed and take care of you when you woke up the next morning I would take care of you because you were so hungover. I turned into your babysitter. And now this. You high last night. On what, I don't know. And you wake up screaming... You don't scream when you're hungover or after you smoke weed. And I'm just worried about you. I'm worried about what he's gotten you into and why you're crashing so hard. I care about you so god damn much, Phoenix. I just want you to be safe."

He finally finished his rant and took a deep breath.

"Luke, I..." I trailed off, my mind reeling from his confession and crashing.

"Don't even say anything unless you're going to tell me what you did." He said.

I groaned. There was only one way I was going to get him off my back. But if I told him, he wouldn't let me out of his sight ever again.

Part of me wanted to keep it my secret, but part of me wanted to tell him what I'd done. To ask for help.

I removed the Aeropostale sweatshirt I'd fallen asleep in and a took a deep breath before holding my arm out to him.

His large hand encircled my tiny wrist and examined my arm.

He froze when he saw the two holes just below the crook of my elbow, track marks.

Tears welled up in my eyes and I waited for him to blow up. To scream and tell me I was an idiot.

"Phoenix." He whispered. "What was it?"

He obviously couldn't tell what the drug was, there were so many different things you could shoot up with.

"Heroin." I muttered, so quiet I could barely hear myself.

His head dropped and I cried harder.

"I'm so sorry. Luke, I'm so sorry." I said between sobs.

"Phoenix, why?"

I shook my head. "I... I don't know. Really. I don't. I kind of wish I hadn't. But at the same time I want to do more, right now."

"Did Jarrod talk you into it?" He asked.

I nodded once.

Luke tensed up but finally met my eyes. His had darkened. The blue looked more like ice than water. "I'm going to kill him."

"No. Luke, don't. Don't fight him." I said and grabbed his shirt sleeve. "Don't."

"Why? So he can get you high again? So he can get you in deeper? You want me to let him ruin your life?" He asked.

"I don't want him to hurt you." I whispered.

Luke was strong, there was no doubt about it. And he knew how to fight, I mean, he used to do boxing. But Jarrod was bigger, sort of. He was a few inches shorter than Luke, but he was built like a professional football player, offensive tackle. His biceps were the size of my head, his thighs were damn near as big around as my hips. He would beat the shit out of Luke.

"Please." I begged.

He stared at me for a moment, his eyes softening, and he nodded. "Fine."

"Thank you." I said and hugged him tightly.

"You're welcome." He muttered.

He held me for a minute before pulling back. "You didn't... You didn't buy anything, did you?"

I shook my head. "Not technically."

"Did he give you anything?"

"By anything do you mean herpes?"

Luke sighed to cover his laugh. "Drugs, Phoenix. Drugs."

I nodded. "Yeah."

"How much?" He asked.

"A lot." I answered.

"Enough to get your ass thrown in jail?"

I nodded. "Probably."

"Where is it?"

"My purse. The blue one. Left pocket. The bindle and syringes are wrapped in some tissues." I explained.

He retrieved my bag and pulled the paraphernalia out.

His eyes widened when he saw how much heroin was in the vial. "Jesus, Phoenix. This would kill you."

"I wasn't going to do it all at once." I muttered.

He frowned. "No. You're not going to do it at all."

"What are you going to do? Give it back to Jarrod?" I asked.

He shook his head and walked off down the hall.

I jumped up and ran after him.

"No!" I screamed when he opened the bathroom door. "Don't!"

Luke spun around, staring down at me. "I'm flushing this."

"No. Please. Don't." I begged.

"Phoenix, either you stop this or you can leave." He said.

"What?" I breathed.

"Either give it up or get out."

"Are you offering me a fucking ultimatum?" I asked.

He nodded once.

I scoffed.

Luke glared. "I mean it. Either you pick me and your sister and your best friends or you pick this. Decide now or just go ahead and get out."


	5. Just Support Me

**Passages that are entirely in italics are flashbacks**

"If you want to come back, then just give it up. It's really not that hard of a decision, Phoenix. Just stop with the drugs and you can stay here."

I groaned. "It's not that easy."

"Because you would rather do heroin than stay with the people who care about you?"

"God damn it, Ashton, that's not what I meant and you know it." I nearly shouted. "I can't just give it up. It's called an addiction for a reason."

"An addiction, really? After just a few weeks?" He asked.

I clenched my fists. "Yes, Ash, drugs tend to do that."

He frowned. "Why can't you just stop, though? Honestly, say I were to keep an eye on you, make sure you couldn't access anything, what would happen?"

"I could die." I stated.

He cocked his head to the side. "How?"

"Not sure. I read about it though. Detoxing from heroin can kill you. I mean, not always, but sometimes." I explained.

"Then how do people quit?" He asked.

"Sometimes they don't." I said.

"But what about when they do?"

I shrugged. "I assume you would have to cut down slowly. Like, wean yourself off of it. But it would still suck. Jesus, going a few hours without it sucks."

"A few hours? You can't go a few hours?"

I shook my head. "No, not really. It just makes everything more bearable. It's a little easier. And if I go too long, I start to feel really sick."

Ashton took a drink of his coffee and stared at me. "Do you really want to quit?"

I shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know. I feel like I want to but when I try, I end up changing my mind. I'm scared it's going to be too hard."

"Wasn't it you that said if something's that hard to accomplish it just makes it that much better?" He asked.

A quick smile flashed across my face.

"It's worth it, I promise."

I looked up at him. "Can I asked you for a favor?"

He nodded. "Yeah, sure."

"Tell Luke to call me back."

He fumbled with a packet of sugar. "I don't think he will."

"Just try to convince him, please. Tell him I want to get better, I want to get clean. But I'm going to need his help. Please, Ashton, I'm begging you."

"I'll try. But he's still really hurt that you left that day. He really cares about you, you know? A few days ago, when I got back from your apartment, he asked about you. He wanted to know if you were at least somewhat healthy. I... I told him that you'd lost a fair bit of weight and he seemed really upset. He's scared for you, I think."

I bit my lip. "Yeah, I'm scared for me, too."

Ashton stood up and slid over to my side of the booth.

He wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "Promise me something?"

"What?"

He grinned. "Get clean and date the kid. He loves you, and I think you love him too."

I blushed. "We'll see."

He smiled harder and pressed his lips to my forehead. "I have to get going. But I'll talk to you later, okay?"

I nodded. "See ya, Ash."

He grabbed his jacket and walked out of the cafe.

I left a few minutes later and started walking back to my apartment.

The place was still empty. I didn't have much furniture. I had nomal appliances, but other than that I had only a small table with one chair, a beat up loveseat, a mattress lying on the floor, and two floor lamps.

I walked into the tiny kitchen and grabbed two beers from the fridge. I opened one and downed it quickly before throwing the bottle in the trash and opening the next.

I took a seat at the small table and started scrolling through old texts and came across an old one from Luke.

A smile found it's way onto my face.

The message read "It was just cute. You were hardly paying attention to people asking for drinks, you just had your eyes on us. It was quite adorable, really."

_I was standing at the bar pouring a shot of tequila when I heard shouts coming from the crowd. I turned my attention to the small stage and saw my four best friends standing up there._

_After handing the guy his shot, I walked towards the other end of the bar so I could get a closer look._

_It was 5 Seconds of Summer's first show at the pub and I was really excited that I was getting to watch while I worked._

_Luke was standing there with a big smile on his face and one of his hands wrapped around the microphone. "Hi, guys! We're 5 Seconds of Summer and we're going to play you a few songs tonight."_

_The crowd screamed and I smiled. _

_Luke's left hand found it's way naturally to the neck of his guitar and the other grabbed a pick. Calum and Michael both grabbed their own picks and Ashton adjusted his grip on his drum sticks._

_Then the first song started. It was Out Of My Limit. _

_I was dancing around while I continued to make drinks for the customers and managed to make a few good tips from guys who must have enjoyed my shaking hips._

_Everytime I stared at the stage for too long, Luke grinned cheekily and I blushed._

_The set was incredible even though it was quite short. I was in the middle of pouring another shot when I heard Luke announce that they were going to be playing their last song of the night. I knew the setlist for the evening so I knew it would be Unpredictable, my favorite song._

_"Do you guys mind if we mix it up for this song just a little bit?" Mikey asked the fans and they all cheered._

_I cocked my head to the side, confused. Raven, who was working too, turned to look at me, the same look of bewilderment on her face._

_"Well, our two best friends are here tonight and we know how much they love to sing so we want them to come up right now and help us with this song. Phoenix, Raven, get your asses up here." Luke said._

_I froze. No. No way was I getting on that stage. Raven didn't move either._

_"Guys, come on!" Ashton encouraged._

_We shook our heads._

_"We need you!" Calum begged._

_My sister and I shared a look. We knew we looked awful. Our hair was tied up, our make up was smudged, and we looked tired from working all day._

_"It's worth a shot, I guess." She said._

_I finally nodded and we ran up to the stage._

_Raven took Mikey's mic and I took Calum's._

_Then the song started._

_Luke: She sits at home with the lights out, seeing life in different colors. I think it's time that we wake up, so let me take you away. We can run down the street..._

_Phoenix: With stars in our eyes._

_Luke: We can tear down this town, in the dark of the night_

_Raven: Just open the door_

_Phoenix: We've got time on our side_

_All: We can make it out alive._

_The song continued just like that. With Luke singing his own parts, me singing Michael's, and Raven singing Calum's._

_And despite how nervous we were, it sounded pretty god damn amazing._

I shook my head. I'd been spacing out way too much. I realized I had finished my beer so I stood up to grab another one and my phone started ringing.

The screen showed Luke's picture and I smiled. "Hello?"

"Ashton said you wanted to talk to me." He stated.

"Yeah, I did."

"About?" He asked.

"I need your help."

He sighed. "With what?"

I took a deep breath to steady my nerves. "I want to get clean."

Luke was silent.

"You still there?" I asked.

"Yeah." He said.

"Will you help me?"

"How?"

"Just... Just support me. Let me move back into the house with you guys. And keep me away from Jarrod and don't hate me when I mess up. I know I need to get clean and I want to but I really don't think I can do it without you. I know it sounds so lame and it's like every god damn indie movie on Netflix but I need you for this." I explained.

He didn't hesitate. "Yes."

"Really?" I grinned.

"Yeah, absolutely. I just want you to be safe and healthy. Of course I'll help you." He said, I could hear his smile.

"Thank you so much, Luke. This means so much. Thank you." I squealed.

He chuckled. "So when can you move back in?"

I laughed. "Um, well, I have to tell the landlord that I'm moving out and that could take a while but I can always come back and stay until everything's official."

"Tonight?" He asked.

I was surprised. "If you want me to."

"I'll be there in five minutes." He said.

"Thank you." I whispered.

"Don't mention it." He whispered back.

We hung up and I ran to pack a few days worth of stuff into a bag and brush my hair and my teeth and dispose of my empty beer bottles.

I heard a knock on the door and ran to answer it.

I threw the door open and Luke was standing there in black skinny jeans, a black t shirt, with a blue long sleeved plaid shirt over it.

"Hi." He smirked.

I threw my arms up and he leaned down, his long arms wrapping around my waist as mine encircled his neck.

He picked up and I squealed.

"I missed you so much." I said.

He squeezed. "I missed you too. And I'm sorry, for everything."

"Don't be."

He placed me on my feet. "Ready?"

I nodded and he picked up my bag and we ran down the stairs and out to his car.

The house was empty when we got there but I didn't care. I was home and that's what mattered.

"Can I ask you something?" Luke asked suddenly.

I turned around to look at him. "Yeah. Anything."

"Did you and Jarrod break up?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I dumped him."

He grinned.

"Why are you smiling?" I asked.

"Because I know you liked him and everything, but god, he was such a douche." He said, trying and failing to not laugh.

I smiled and gave him a playful eye roll.

"You know I'm right! The guy didn't even drink beer, it was just Jager bomb shots all the time." He said and I laughed.

"You're ridiculous." I said.

"That guy was UnAmerican!" He shouted.

"Luke... Luke, sweetie, you're Australian." I said.

He laughed harder. "I know. He's such a douchebag that he makes me forget my own nationality."

I couldn't help but crack up a little bit.

The goofy smile on Luke's face was great and I just wanted to pinch his cheeks and kiss him on the lips and...

Wait. No. No kissing on the lips. He was my best friend. No.

"Phoe? He asked.

I snapped out of it. "Yeah?"

"You were staring, love." He said.

I shook my head. "No. No I was not."

He grinned. "Yes, you were. I saw you."

The blush that crept into my cheeks betrayed me and I gave in. "Okay. Okay, yeah. Maybe I was. But what's the big deal? You stare at me sometimes."

"Because you're amazing." He said.

My cheeks turned and even deeper shade of red.

"What are you thinking?" He asked.

"I'm thinking about slapping you. But I'm also thinking about kissing you." I admitted.

He smirked and stepped closer. "Let's save the first one for another time, shall we?"

I glared playfully and he grabbed my hips.

I stretched onto my toes and grabbed his neck.

He leaned down and I stretched just a tiny bit further and that was it.

We were kissing. I was kissing my best friend and it was fucking fantastic.

He pulled back a second later. "Okay. So I don't know if you realize this or not, but you're really good at that."

I blushed. "You're not so bad either, Hemmings."

He leaned back in and pressed his lips to mine again.

My small body was tucked into his tall, lanky one and it felt perfect.

His lips felt foreign against mine but it was great. Different but incredible. He was better than any other guy I'd kissed.

I jumped up to wrap my legs around his waist so that he wouldn't have to lean as me.

His hands caught the bottoms of the my thighs and held me up easily.

My arms were tight around his neck and I didn't really want to stop kissing him anytime soon.

But fate had other plans and just as Luke's tongue brushed my own, the front door swung open and in walked Ashton, Raven, Mikey, and Calum.

Ashton, being the first one through the door, was the first one to see Luke and I making out.

His cheerful voice reached my ears. "Oh, well, this is cute."

I half expected Luke to let go of me but he didn't, he kept a firm grip on my thighs although we both turned our heads to stare at our new audience.

"Hi." I squeaked.

Raven threw her fists in the air. She didn't say anything but her movement and expression screamed "Victory."

Mikey was grinning from ear to ear and Calum's expression mimicked Ashton's.

"I wasn't expecting this." Ashton said.

I laughed. "Neither was I."

Calum snorted and pressed his hand over his mouth.

Raven let out a loud cackle and Michael just kept grinning.

"Mate, do you have a problem?" Luke asked.

Michael shook his head. "Not one."

His smile didn't falter once and it made me laugh.

"How does it feel to be that tall?" Raven said.

I grinned, realizing that being in Luke's arm, the top of my head was higher than his. "Lonely. I'm very far away from everyone."

"There is a boy between your legs. You're not far away from him at all." Ashton stated.

"I'm sorry that there is no boy between your legs and that I am currently taller than you. Don't be mean because I will pee on you." I said.

"I think you're actually tall enough to pee on him right now." Luke said. "But let's not test it because if you pee on me I will never kiss you again."

I smirked. "Oh? No pee kink?"

He laughed. "No. Not quite."

I unhooked my legs from Luke's waist and he lowered me to my feet. I was unhappy with being short again.

"So, um... Is everyone just going to stand here?" I asked.

"I'm still surprised." Calum admitted.

"You kissed." Michael said.

"Yes, this is fact. But we don't need to have a house meeting. If we had a house meeting everytime someone kissed or did something sexual we would be talking to you and Raven quite a bit. Because you two kiss more than anyone I know." I said.

They nodded. "Fair enough."

I grinned and grabbed my bag from the floor. "I'm going upstairs to bed."

When I got to the stairs I stopped and turned around to look at Luke. "Jesus, are you coming or what?"


	6. Just Detox

"Are you okay?" Luke asked when I shivered yet again.

We were laying in his bed and it was around three in the morning. The house had to be about 75 degrees but I was freezing.

I shook my head. "Too cold."

His hands rubbed up and down my back in a futile attempt to keep me warm. "Do you need to go the doctor?"

"No. Just detox. I'll be okay soon." I said, talking more to myself than him.

My stomach churned and I took off towards the bathroom, fell down in front of the toilet, and threw up for what had to be the tenth time.

Luke pulled my hair out of my face and Raven came in a moment later. She must've heard me.

"Oh, sweetie." She said and rubbed my back gently as I emptied my stomach.

"Watch her for a minute. I need to look something up." Luke said to Raven and she nodded once.

Luke walked away and Raven twisted my hair into a knot at the back of my head.

I flushed the toilet and leaned back against the wall, a sheen of sweat covered my face but I was still so cold.

"Do you need anything? Water? Food?" Raven asked.

"Can I have some peppermint tea?"

She nodded. "Of course. I'll be right back."

When she ran off, Ashton walked in.

He sat down in front of me and took my hand. "Are you going to be okay, love?"

I nodded.

"Come here." He grabbed my hips gently and placed me in front of him, my back to his chest. His long fingers pressed against my temples and rubbed soothing circles. I let out a sigh of relief and leaned against my best friend.

"See, you're alright." He whispered.

Raven came back in clutching a mug. "Well, you look cozy."

I smiled and took the tea. "Thanks."

I took a sip and felt the hot liquid run down my throat and splash into my empty stomach.

After I'd finished my tea and my headache had reduced to a dull throb thanks to Ashton, it was time to head back to bed.

"Ash?" I muttered.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Um. Can you help me get back to bed? I feel rather wobbly."

He stood up and grabbed my waist, lifting me easily from the floor. One arm caught the back of my knees while the other held my waist. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and closed my eyes because the movement made me feel sick.

He walked me into Luke's room and placed me in bed.

"Thanks." I said and pulled the blankets up around my shoulders.

Luke was sitting at his desk reading something very intently on his laptop screen. I wasn't sure if he'd noticed me yet.

"Baby, what are you doing?" I asked.

"Reading." He replied.

Ashton came back in a placed another mug of tea on the bedside table. I smiled and thanked him.

"What are you reading?" I asked.

"I'm trying to find ways I can help you. I don't like seeing you like this." He said.

I frowned briefly. "There's not a lot you can really do. Just let me detox and I'll be okay soon, hopefully. Now please just come back to bed."

He shut his laptop and climbed into the bed beside me. "Still cold?"

I nodded and curled up beside him. His arms wrapped tightly around my waist and held me to his warm chest.

After a while I managed to get to sleep but was woken around eight when I heard a banging on the front door and Calum came upstairs to tell me I had a visitor.

I pulled a hoodie on over the long sleeved shirt I was already wearing and trudged down the stairs groggily.

When I opened the door, Sierra was standing there with her arms crossed and a cigaratte between two fingers.

I squinted up at her, she was much taller than me. And she looked pissed.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Jarrod got arrested last night. Someone spilled that he's been selling. Luckily he didn't have anything on him when he got picked up." She explained.

"Did they let him out?" I asked.

"Yeah, after a few hours of questioning."

"Who sold him out?" I asked.

"Don't act like you don't know. Everyone knows it was you or your sister or your precious Luke."

My jaw dropped. "Sierra, I swear, I didn't have anything to do with it."

She scoffed.

The door opened behind me and Luke stepped out. "She told you it wasn't her. That means it wasn't her."

"You, then. Or that bitch, Raven."

Without a second thought I reached out and slapped her hard across the face. "Don't you ever call her a bitch again or I will fucking gut you."

She held her face. "You little fucking bitch."

She formed a fist and swung but I dodged her easily and punched her in the stomach. When she doubled over I brought my knee up and made solid contact with her face. She was still hunched over but I could see drops of blood falling from her face onto the concrete sidewalk.

I crossed my arms over my chest as she straightened up.

Her nose was undoubtedly broken.

"How long since you last shot up?" She asked.

"Nearly a week." I admitted.

She smirked. "I would say I hope you die during detox but it would be way funnier for you to just have to deal with it."

I smiled sweetly as I grabbed her long blond ponytail and pulled it back further and further until she fell on her ass. I knelt beside her without letting go of her hair. "Listen, you abominable cunt, I didn't rat out Jarrod but I wish I had now. But seeing as I don't like being accused of shit I didn't do, I'll you something you can rightfully bitch about."

With that I grabbed the bridge of her nose which was sitting to the left after having made contact with my knee, and twisted it harshly in the other direction.

It started bleeding more and her shout of pain nearly overpowered the sound of cartilidge breaking, but not quite.

I pulled her up by her hair and shoved her in the direction of her car.

She stumbled down the walkway and got in the car.

When I turned around Luke had his hands in his pockets and a smile on his face.

"What?" I asked.

He smile grew wider. "You're so hot."

I laughed. "I didn't realized you find it sexy when I hit people."

"Not just the hitting people. I like that you didn't hit her until she insulted Raven. You take care of your own, that's sexy."

"Thanks?" I laughed.

He grabbed my hoodie pocket and pulled me closer to him. I stretched onto my toes and pressed a lingering kiss to his lips.

He pulled back a minute later. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" I asked.

"For not calling you. For making you leave. I'm so sorry." He whispered.

I pressed my palm to his cheek. "Don't be. You thought it would be best. You were trying to help me. Don't be sorry."

"I missed you while you were gone." He said.

"I missed you too." I whispered.

Luke's large hands enveloped my waist and he crushed my body against his own. "You mean so much to me, Phoenix."

"I love you." I stated.

He froze for a moment and so did I.

"I, uh..." I trailed off.

His lips pressed to mine for a second. "I love you, too."

*Hey, guys. I kinda really like this chapter a lot, idk. Please review and let me know what you think. Thank you all so much for reading. It means the world to me. -Aly*


End file.
